Snake in Phantomhive Manor
by Insomniac Tiger
Summary: Snake has been added to the Phantomhive staff. Though he is still not quite sure how he fits in to this odd bunch. Between a Master who is smarter than the average teenager, clumsy servants, and a butler who is too good to be human, will he and his fellow reptilian friends manage to find their "family" after all?
1. Settling In

The other servants were gone. Something about a funeral for Black? But Black isn't dead… so why was a funeral needed? Smile had seemed bored by the whole thing. As if it were just bothersome. Of course a funeral for someone who isn't dead is just pointless, which would be annoying.

Why was he thinking about that when he should really be wondering why he was here? He had come here to get revenge for his family. Joker, Beast, Jumbo, Peter, Wendy, Dagger, and even sweet Doll… They were gone. Smile had said that he had been doing some undercover investigation work in the Noah's Ark Circus. The child had seemed so innocent. Doll had rambled on for hours on how close she and the newcomer were getting along. Smile had been on oddball. Among circus folk that was saying a lot. Of course if _Smile_ was really _Earl Ciel Phantomhive_ then that explained a lot.

 _Are we really going to work for the small human we were just targeting?_ Asked Keats.

Snake nodded. "It seems so."

 _Because you believe we will find Joker and the others this way?_ Oscar questioned hesitantly.

"Joker and the others are dead." Snake looked out one of the huge windows in the room that was now his.

 _We_ _ **did**_ _smell some of their blood…_ Bronte pointed out.

 _But there was no sign of Joker or Doll being here._ Oscar tried to console him.

"If Beast and the other's are dead then it's likely so are Joker and Doll."

 _And… you are ok with this?_ Keats probed.

"You heard Smile. They were kidnapping children." He looked toward the door for the tenth time in the last five minutes. "I knew they were hiding something from me… but kidnapping children…"

 _That's on par with how bad what happened to you as kid was._ Bronte said bluntly.

 _Bronte!_ Emily scolded.

 _It's true!_ The larger snake argued.

 _Enough._ Keats silenced them.

Snake was still looking at the door. "Do you think Black locked it?"

 _Of course he did. We were trying to kill his master, why would he let us roam free?_ Bronte said.

 _You won't know if you don't try._ Keats reasoned.

That seemed logical enough. Snake got up to test the door. It was unlocked. "He… trusts us?"

 _It would seem so. So now what are you going to do with that trust?_ Keats asked.

"If Smile really wants us to work for him… then he'll remember to feed us right?"

 _If not him, I am sure Black or one of the servants will._ Emily reasoned.

 _Black didn't say you_ _ **couldn't**_ _leave._ Wordsworth finally woke up from his nap.

 _Did you see the look he gave us?_ Oscar asked.

"It _was_ heavily implied that we remain here." Snake agreed.

* * *

"Don't cha think it's a bit odd that the Master left that Snake guy alone in the house so soon after hiring him?" Baldroy asked.

"I'm sure if the Young Master trusts him then he can be trusted." Mei-Rin shrugged. "Besides Mister Sebastian would never allow the house to be left unprotected if he thought there would be real danger."

"That's true enough." Baldroy grunted.

"Do you guys get the feeling that Mister Sebastian can hear us no matter where we are?" Finny asked thinking out loud not really having been listening to his friends.

"No doubt he can hear your loud mouth from wherever." Baldroy snapped.

* * *

Sebastian indeed could hear the servants, but he allowed them to think that he wasn't listening. He was currently leaving Ciel's room after helping him change into something more suitable than what the Young Master had wore to the funeral. Personally he had some concerns about leaving Snake on his own in the manor, mainly that the ex-circus performer would escape. But his small charge had assured him that the reptilian man would still be here when they returned.

Upon entering the manor Sebastian had immediately looked for signs that the house had been robbed in anyway or that Snake had made a run for it. But there was nothing out of the ordinary. Not even a scent of one of the snakes crossed his path as he headed for the new footman's assigned room. It was a smaller room, but it got lots of sun, which would be ideal for Snake's cold-blooded friends.

As a Phantomhive butler it made him want to cringe that there were several snakes crawling freely in the manor currently. But one of the reasons that the Young Master had said that they should keep Snake around was for how handy his snakes would be in the future. So best to keep them healthy.

* * *

 _Black is coming._ Keats warned.

 _Best watch out for that one._ Oscar advised. _Something isn't quite right with him._

The door suddenly opened. It was Black dressed in his butler uniform; he was scanning the room with unmistakable suspicion. After a moment to assess the room Black nodded toward Snake. "The others are eating in the kitchen if you are hungry." He started to leave but then reentered. "I understand that the reptiles are your companions, but I must ask that about the manor you keep them on a tight leash and out of sight."

Snake nodded. "That sounds reasonable. Says Wordsworth."

* * *

 _Please Review! - Says Oscar_


	2. An Introduction

Snake had never felt so out of place in his life. Black – or rather _Sebastian_ – apparently that was his actual name, had forced him into this suit. Never had he wore clothes as nice as this. Sebastian had insisted that his jacket have coattails, because it was 'expected that a servant of the Phantomhive household would look their best'. He wasn't sure exactly what his job consisted of yet, but he was told that he would get plenty of training. Black – _Sebastian_ – had looked exasperated and made a comment about still training the other three anyway.

 _You've never looked better._ Emily complimented.

 _I liked the old one better._ Brontë muttered.

 _He looks great. Black will be here soon are you ready?_ Keats asked.

Snake shrugged. "Not really…"

Oscar slithered up around his neck. _It will be fine. And we will all come with you for support!_

 _Naturally._ Wordsworth agreed.

 _He's here._ Keats hissed.

Sebastian knocked once before entering. "Come along now. I expect you to meet the others in the kitchen in five minutes." Then he was gone.

Snake hurried to follow him, but when he looked down the hall the butler had truly vanished.

 _I don't like that one._ Brontë grumbled.

 _I agree._ Keats glided into the hallway.

"I don't know where the kitchen is…" Snake muttered.

 _We'll get you there._ Emily reassured him.

* * *

It took four and a half minutes for the snakes to find the door to the kitchen. As they were approaching it they heard a distinguished voice that only could be Sebastian's say, "Come in." The snakes burst in ahead of their human friend. They liked to get the layout of new territory before letting Snake in. Immediately the other servants reacted.

"Yiiikes snakes!"

"Wah!"

"Gyaaah!"

"Do pipe down." Sebastian sighed. "They will not bite unless he commands them to do so."

"He?"

 _That's us Snake._ Oscar encouraged him out the door.

Snake peeked around the door hesitantly… new people… he didn't care for people. Rather, he didn't trust them. But he had his friends with him. Sebastian shoved him forward and demanded he introduce himself properly.

"I-I'm Snake."

 _We look forward to working with you._ Oscar greeted them.

"We look forward to working with you - says Oscar."

The younger blonde boy cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Umm… you're… Mister Oscar?"

 _This is Snake, and I'm Oscar._ Oscar hissed in annoyance. Some humans were so stupid.

Snake reiterated what Oscar had said. Then he began introducing the rest of the snakes who were making themselves known to the other servants. With the exception of the taller blonde man, who was cowering in fear of the reptiles and continuing to scream.

Sebastian quickly cut him off saying that they can introduce the rest of the snakes at a later date. "In any case, he is the Phantomhive footman as of today. Do try to work together, you lot."

Snake was grateful when they instantly put him to work on something he was familiar with. Peeling potatoes. Mei-Rin, the maid, informed him that even though they all had separate jobs, everyone tended to help in the kitchen since they didn't technically have any kitchen staff with the exception of Baldroy. But he wasn't exactly reliable at actually coming up with anything edible apparently.

Sebastian had ordered that the snakes be kept out of the kitchen since it wasn't sanitary to have animals in a place where one prepares food. Snake kept an eye on the butler though. He was working with the 'Chef' at the counter. Snake had always had exceptional hearing, and he could easily hear what was being said about him. Unsurprisingly the Chef didn't trust him. But it was hard to hear the rest of what they said with the maid and gardener watching over him making noise about how good he was at peeling potatoes.

How hard was it to peel a potato really? How incompetent could these people be? He had seen Mei-Rin preparing the table, it was disastrous; she had broken nearly every plate. And Baldroy the 'Chef' was hardly doing anything to prepare the food. The landscape looked impeccable, but Snake had heard Sebastian reprimanding Finny for uprooting several trees. How could someone as dignified as the Earl Phantomhive have such useless servants? And why were there so few? Again Snake looked over at the butler.

The man in black was currently chopping the head off of the fish. Snake had witnessed first hand how incredible the man was. Did he really make up for the entire staff? It was clear that the Earl had complete faith in the man. That had been obvious back when he had believed them to aspiring circus performers. Black only left Smile's side when it was necessary. And even then they had noticed the man looking out for the small child.

Once dinner was prepared and the Master was satisfied and taken care of, (mainly by Sebastian) Snake was allowed to retreat to his room. Inside, all of his friends were waiting and immediately began to swarm about him.

 _How was it?_ Keats asked.

"There is something strange about those servants."

 _You mean how they are all clearly idiots?_ Brontë scoffed.

Snake nodded. "Though the maid and gardener seem nice enough."

 _I wouldn't let down your guard either way Snake,_ Emily curled up around his arm, _this is the same household that managed to get rid of Joker and the others. And they were not a weak bunch._

"I haven't forgotten."

* * *

 _Please Review! - Says Keats_


	3. Setting Sail

It seemed like months had past since he had started working at the Phantomhive manor, when in actuality it was probably just a few weeks. And honestly he still wasn't quite sure what a footman's duties actually were. He helped the other servants with their chores and often found himself helping prepare food in the kitchen. Sebastian had requested that some of his friends explore the estate grounds for intruders and anything that seemed suspicious.

In the short time he had been here he had seen a few odd characters come and go. A Chinese man and woman who Oscar said smelled suspiciously sweet, like some drug. And a young girl who the gardener had explained was the Earl's fiancé. To Snake it was such an odd concept that someone as young as Ciel Phantomhive had a fiancé already. But Emily reminded him that it was common for the upper class folk to have such things predetermined for them by their elders. The blonde girl was the complete opposite of the Earl. She was bright, cheerful, full of light and life. The biggest difference he found however was that she acted her age, (even younger than that, according to Brontë) while the Earl acted mature beyond his years.

It was plain for anyone to see that the Earl had seen much for such a young person. The one eye that he allowed people to see gave away his intelligence. Snake didn't know what the child possibly went through to gain such a complete disdain for the world, and a confidence in his capabilities. Though he suspected it had something to do with the fact the Earl was in control of such a large estate seemingly on his own, and something to do with his covered eye. Brontë claimed to have seen it while traveling through the house one night as the Earl was going to bed. The serpent claimed the mysterious eye was discolored compared to the other one and the pupil was strangely shaped.

No matter what happened, the Earl had accepted him as part of his staff and seemed to already have a sense of trust with him. Not once was Snake locked away, denied access, or asked to wait somewhere else. Of course he didn't really go anywhere besides his room, wherever he was supposed to be working, and the green house where a majority of his friends had chosen to stay.

The other servants were surprisingly welcoming. The maid and gardener had immediately wanted to be friends, and eventually the chef began to treat him as one of their own as well. It was a tight knit group among those three, and while Snake didn't know their histories, he could tell that like himself they each had survived some sort of harsher past.

No one spoke of themselves much at all. (With the exception of Mei-Rin constantly reminding them of how wonderful she thought Sebastian was.) It was mainly everyday small talk, contemplating what was on the Earl's mind, or complaining about how Sebastian worked them too hard. Every once in a while Baldroy would make a comment on how 'inhuman' the butler seemed to be, but it was mostly just the chef venting because Sebastian had once again taken over the evening meal.

Over all, Snake didn't hate it. All his life he had been on display as a freak. As a child it had been as a slave. As an adult he worked with the circus under the pretense that he owed them for saving his life. Now he was not an exhibition. He was doing everyday work that everyone else around him was doing. His efforts were recognized and appreciated by the others he worked with. Though Baldroy had been extremely hesitant at first, they all even accepted his friends and the way he communicated for them without any complaint or judgmental looks. It had taken years with Joker and the others for their group to stop laughing at his abnormal way of communication.

The most surprising of all was the way Sebastian interacted with him. As someone who was clearly of higher status than him, he didn't _just_ not mind the way he spoke, but even asked direct questions to some of the serpents knowing that Snake would translate for him. This was mainly in regards to the selected serpents that would check the grounds for trouble, but it was still refreshing nonetheless.

Currently Snake found himself packing a traveling case for himself. According to Sebastian he was required to travel with the Earl while he was on a cruise.

 _I hate sea travel._ Brontë complained for the hundredth time.

 _You've never even seen the sea._ Emily scoffed.

 _We move along the earth, we weren't meant to spend days at sea._ Brontë retorted.

"You don't have to come…" Snake pointed out.

 _Nonsense. Of course we are coming._ Keats reassuringly tugged at his hair.

"I want you to. But if something were to happen… there is no guarantee that you all could make it out safely. Like Brontë said-"

 _Brontë is an idiot._ Oscar said from the bedpost as he watched Snake pack. _Humans travel on these boats all the time. We'll be fine._

Snake shrugged. "Its your choice."

 _But the crate…_ Brontë continued his complaining.

"I will be sure that there is a board loose so that you all can come and go as you please." Snake reminded him.

 _We will be fine. Don't you worry dear._ Emily wrapped herself around his leg.

Before Snake could thank her there was a light knock on his door. His friends scattered to various hiding spots around the room with the exception of Emily on his leg and Keats who had remained around his shoulders. It was Mei-Rin.

"Hullo Snake. Mister Sebastian sent me to be sure you were takin' care of packing for the trip. I see you are though."

Snake nodded.

"Right lucky you are to be traveling on one of those fancy ships with Mister Sebastian and the young Master."

 _It will certainly be an experience._ Keats replied.

"It will certainly be an experience – says Keats."

Mei-Rin smiled at the snake at his shoulder and offered her hand to see if she could pet him. "May I?"

In response Keats rubbed his scaled head against her palm much like a cat would.

"You sure are lucky to have so many good friends, yes you are."

Snake nodded in agreement.

"I best be off. Got to set the table for the evening meal I do." She waved before leaving.

 _I like her._ Emily commented.

"She seems ok." Snake agreed shutting the door.

 _Almost like a human friend._ Keats said.

Snake frowned. He'd never had one of those before. Joker and the others called their troupe 'family', but Snake was well aware he wasn't included in that. Their family had been together long before they had found him, and they never really included him in their gatherings other than meetings that were essential for first tier performers to attend. And even then he was mostly reporting what the serpents had seen and heard. That was all. He'd never had family. Or friends that were human. But Mei-Rin, Finny, and even Baldroy were the closest he had ever had to the category of 'human friends', but when was someone considered a friend? Shaking his head at the nonsensical thought he got back to finishing his packing.

* * *

"So thiiiis is the _Campania_ , huh!?" Finny's loud voice carried through the crowd as he admired the large luxury passenger liner.

While the others were discussing something or another Snake once again worriedly checked the crate that his friends were being carried in. At the mention of his name however he looked up to hear the butler's response to the gardener's whine.

"A footman's duties include accompanying his master on his travels. I am counting on each of you to carefully see to your duties while we are away."

The other four that had come to see them off, (including the small old man that Snake still wasn't sure who he was or what his job was) saluted cheerfully with a "YESSIR!"

"Well… we'll be off, then." The Earl said turning on the gangplank to give his servants one last glance before boarding the ship.

Snake obediently followed the butler aboard behind their master. The ship was huge. Much bigger than he had thought it would be. They stayed on the main deck long enough to hear the whistle blow and to see the other servants waving with one last goodbye. Though he was trying to pay attention to what was being said his mind was on trying to figure out when he would have time to sneak below and visit his friends. Donne, one of the slimmer snakes gave a comforting squeeze from within his sleeve where he was wrapped around his arm.

Right. There would be time later; eventually everyone had to go to sleep. Besides, this was like a vacation for the upper class folk. Likely they would stuff themselves with rich food, drink a little too much, and then be asleep hopefully before midnight. Snake could sneak below and see his friends once everything was quiet for the night. Though his anxiety from being around so many people was high, all he could hope for was that everything was smooth sailing till they returned back to the port they had just pulled away from.

* * *

 _Please Review! - Says Emily_


End file.
